Should You Look For Work In China?

The New York Times recently ran an article about young Americans flocking to China for job opportunities because job prospects are so bleak in the U.S. The article made it sound as if it's easy to find a good job there even if you don't speak Mandarin or know much about Chinese culture. Is it really that easy?

The answer quite simply is no. Starting a career in China can be very worthwhile, but there are major downsides. Before racing across the globe to launch your new life, you need to think very carefully about whether it is worth it and, if you decide it is, how to guarantee yourself a meaningful experience.

On the good side, China's economy remains strong, and people are palpably proud of its strength. Work in China is challenging and fast-paced, and young executives get far more responsibility than they would back home. China is clearly the next growth engine for most multinational corporations, as the country's consumers and companies buy more and become less price-sensitive. Executives with experience in China will be in high demand back at headquarters and at leading business schools in coming years, so getting a couple of years of China work experience on your résumé certainly can't hurt.

However, there are caveats. First, you mustn't expect a high salary. Second, government regulations can make it very hard to secure a work visa unless you already have two full years of work experience. Chinese coming out of top schools like Fudan and Beijing University make $500 to $600 a month. To get more than that, young Americans need to prove they really deserve more, which is getting harder and harder to do. Having good English skills is no longer enough.

Hundreds of thousands of Chinese have studied in the West. Unlike the first rounds of Chinese, who studied in the U.S. during the late 1980s and early '90s and mostly stayed in the States, younger Chinese are moving back home, both because of the opportunities available now and because of forbidding American work visa policies. Most companies prefer to hire these returnees, because they understand how to navigate China but also speak English well and have been exposed to Western practices and values. When I did my graduate studies at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University, there were more Chinese there than any other nationality except Americans.

Unlike a decade ago, young Americans today compete for jobs with highly educated and worldly Chinese. Not only that, but they go up against older Americans trying to reinvigorate their careers. My firm, the China Market Research Group, receives four or five résumés a week from managing directors of firms like
Lehman Brothers
.

Unless you find the job in the U.S. and get transferred to China--and even before the recession those transfers were disappearing--be happy if you can make between $800 and $2,000 a month. My firm has calculated that the ratio of purchasing power for salaries in China and the U.S. is 3.5-to-1. That is, if you'd expected to make $60,000 a year on Wall Street, aim for $21,000 a year in Shanghai to be able to maintain the same quality of life and have the same amount of money to keep or pay back student loans with.

Assuming that you're fine with making a low salary, what's the best way to actually find a job? My firm receives résumés from bright kids with Ivy League degrees who have never been to China. When we offer them an interview, they tell us they'd be happy to fly out at our cost. Sorry, folks. Few businesses these days are into offering the all-expenses-paid trip of a lifetime. You'll need to actually spend time in China, knocking on doors--a couple weeks, minimum, and on your dime. Work for a couple of months washing dishes, and save up for that plane ticket. Trust me, it will be worth it if you're serious about finding a job here.

I'd suggest that you start looking for that China job in the U.S. first. That may sound counterintuitive, but bear with me. Call all the alumni/ae of your school you know and ask them if they know anyone in China they can introduce you to. People are keeping their Rolodexes close to their hearts in this terrible job market, but you can get them to introduce you to people in China because they don't expect to move there and so won't view you as competition. While you're still in the U.S., arrange for meetings in China, so that when you arrive there you'll have a full plate. I've found that you're likely to get a higher salary if you're introduced from the U.S., either by a friend or by the human-resources department of an American multinational, than if you just go after something in China off the cuff.

When you buy your plane tickets, make sure you allow for enough time not only for the meetings you've already scheduled but also for ones you may set up after you arrive. I'm always amazed when people come to my firm for an interview the day after landing in China and say they're leaving tomorrow. Give yourself enough flexibility to accommodate second- and third-round interviews and introductions to other companies. Not many businesses will hire someone after only a first day's interviews.

Let's say you've made it to China for interviews and you've had the good fortune to score some decent offers. What should you look for in a job? Should you work for a large multinational or a Chinese company? I've always told people under 30 that they should care more about training than about money. Once you reach 30, the situation changes, but you want to get into a position that will give you exposure to a wide range of industries.

What is training in China, and what is a good stepping-stone job? Most companies don't have programs like the two-year ones at the top investment banks and consulting firms in the U.S. In fact, training tends to be haphazard, largely because the markets change so fast that everyone sort of plays it by ear. So look for a position that might let you try a little sales and a little marketing. Most important, look for a direct supervisor who has a track record of success in China and who will mentor you. Executive turnover is so high in China, accelerated by the financial crisis, which has led companies to cut back on employees from overseas, that you need to make sure you find a place where someone will show you the ropes.

It is often best to start a career in the U.S., to get solid training, and then move to China. It's a market that is still developing, with standards that are still changing. People starting out in investment banking often learn more about how to navigate the morass of legal issues and relationship complexities of the business than about the technical and hardcore skills of banking.

Personally, I find it pathetic when people consider moving to China without trying to learn the language once there. If you don't learn the language, there is absolutely no way you can truly understand the Chinese people. Yes, English has become the lingua franca of China and the world, but it won't let you fully appreciate China and how Chinese people think. Former President of China Jiang Zemin joked that there are more English speakers in China than in the U.S. That is certainly true. Sure, you can rely on a translator or find a job selling products and services to other foreigners, but part of the joy of working in foreign countries is learning about them. Make sure you learn the language, whether by hiring a private tutor or by making friends with locals.

One of the best ways to start a career in China is at a school. Apply for Mandarin language study for a semester, or see if you can get a job teaching English. That will get you a visa, you'll begin to learn the language and appreciate the culture, and, importantly, you'll begin to network and find out where the great job opportunities are.

China is a wonderful place to launch a career. The opportunities are limitless. Jobs aren't easy to find, but once you've got one you'll be rewarded by being part of a special time in China's social and business evolution.

Shaun Rein is the founder and managing director of the China Market Research Group, a strategic market intelligence firm. He writes for Forbes on leadership, marketing and China. For more from Shaun Rein, click here.